Rep. Bobby Scott speaks out on Ferguson riots

U.S. Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, D-Newport News, signed a letter with two other lawmakers expressing concern about the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., in the aftermath of the shooting of an unarmed black teen by police.

A national debate has emerged over the tactics police in the St. Louis County town have used after Michael Brown, 18, was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson. In the face of protests that have at times included violence and looting, heavily armed police donned riot gear, and fired tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators.

The shooting death has resulted in racial tension, and some lawmakers are considering whether police should be equipped with military-style weaponry and armored vehicles. Two journalists covering the protests were arrested this week, prompting further outcry.

Scott, who sits on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, wrote the letter to House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte along with Rep. Steven Cohen, D-Tenn., and Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.

"These incidents raise concerns that local law enforcement is out of control and, instead of protecting the safety and civil liberties of the residents of Ferguson, is employing tactics that violate the rights of citizens and hinder the ability of the press to report on their actions. This situation requires immediate congressional scrutiny," the congressmen wrote.

"Mr. Brown's killing highlights what appears to be a continuing pattern of the use of deadly force by police against unarmed African Americans in cities around the nation," the letter said.

"At best, confronting demonstrators with this show of force is a sign of poor judgment. In all likelihood, the decision to adopt a military posture only served to aggravate an already tense situation and to commit the police to a military response," the lawmakers said.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, also penned an op-ed for Time magazine, condeming the so-called "militarization" of police departments across the nation.

"The outrage in Ferguson is understandable — though there is never an excuse for rioting or looting," Paul wrote in the op-ed. "There is a legitimate role for the police to keep the peace, but there should be a difference between a police response and a military response."

Minutes before a police officer shot him dead, Michael Brown had become a suspect in the theft of cigars from a store, according to police reports released on Friday after days of protests in a St. Louis suburb over the unarmed black teenager's death.